Saoirse Ronan presents award for making ‘challenging cinema’ to Paul Mescal

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Saoirse Ronan has presented her fellow Irish actor Paul Mescal with an award at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala event.

Normal People star Mescal, who was nominated for a best Oscar actor gong for his role in drama Aftersun – and is starring in the hotly anticipated Gladiator II movie, attended the fourth year of the event on Saturday.

Ronan (30) paid tribute to Mescal (28) as he accepted the vantage award, which is given to “an emerging artist or scholar who is helping to contextualise and challenge dominant narratives around cinema”.

Actor John Travolta praised his Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino (61) as the filmmaker picked up his Luminary Award, which is given to an “artist whose singular contributions have expanded the creative possibilities of cinema”.

Tarantino donated his first handwritten draft of the script for 1994’s Pulp Fiction to the museum as he made his speech to the audience.

He arrived on the red carpet with actress Uma Thurman, who he directed in Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2.

Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg also introduced actress Rita Moreno, who won a best supporting actress Academy Award for West Side Story, while she picked up the Icon Award, given to those who have had a “cultural impact”.

The gala was co-chaired by Academy Museum Trustee Eric Esrailian, as well as actors Salma Hayek, Nicole Kidman, Eva Longoria and Tyler Perry.

The evening was closed by Ariana Grande introducing her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo.

Erivo performed I’m Here from The Colour Purple, Diana Ross’s Home from The Wiz, Somewhere Over The Rainbow from The Wizard Of Oz and Prince’s Purple Rain.

More than $11 million (€10 million) was raised to support the museum’s work at the event.